Fire alarm



April 23, 1946. G. RUSHINGQJR FIRE ALARM s sheets-sheet 1 Filed April24, 1944 f 6207?? ud l WMM April 23, 1946. G. RUSHING, JR 2,398,965

FIRE ALARM Filed April 24, 1944v 3 sheets-Sheet 2 April 23, 1946.

G. RUSHING, .VIR 2,398,966`

FIRE ALARM Filed'ApIl 24, 1944 3 Sheets-S5661; 3

Patented Apr. 23, 1946 Q yUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE f vFIRE ALARMGeorgel Rushing, Jr., Little Rock, Ark.' Application April 24, 1944,serial No. 532,452

2c1aims. (01.177-355) -which will assure vrthe initial operation of thesignal device. Y

'A further object of this invention-is to provide in combinationwith ayspring-operated signal Vdevice and a spring-pressed starter, anelectric signal-circuit including a switch disposed in a. positionwhereby release of the starter by lthe trigger will automatically movethe switch to circuit closing position so that a remote audible orvisible signal may bev operated at the same time that the rst signal isoperated.

I A further object of this invention is to provide an audible alarm ofthis type'wherein thealarm device may be placed in a closed housing andsound conducting ducts extended from the housingto remote points so thatthe sound may be readily heard throughout a building.' Where a buildingis equipped with hot air-ducts, the hous- 4"ing may be connected to suchducts from a central point so as to eliminate the ditional ducts.

A further object of this invention is to provide an alarm assembly inwhich a number of the placement of adparts making up the assembly may bewell known parts which are combined in a manner to produce the desiredresult. v

To the foregoing objects and others which hereinafter appear theinvention consists ofthe novel construction, combination and arrangementof parts as will be more specifically referred to and illustrated inthe. accompanying drawings, wherein is shown an embodiment of theinvention, but .it isj to be understood that changes, modications andvariations may be resorted to which fall within the scope of theinvention as claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a detail top plan partly bro-ken away of a fire alarmconstructed according to an embodiment of this invention,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary front elevation of the device,

Figure 3 is a detail top plan partly broken away and in section ofthedevice,

view taken on the line ilar to Figure 4, .but showing the .trigger andtrigger release lever` in dotted lines and the lstarter in dottedposition to` operate the electric` signal switchand 1 Figure 6 is afragmentary sectional View taken onthe line 6-6 of Figure 3. Y lReferring-to the drawings', the numeral Ill designates generally ahousing which is of rectangular form including ya bottom ywal1 1|,opposite side walls. 2 and.l3, .opposite iendi walls Y|4 and I5, and atop wallIG.; vThehousing I0 has mounted onthe innerside of.' the sidewall vI2 a bell or audible signal member `l-'lfwhich is secured totheside wall I2 by fastening members I8 and spaced from the wall l2 byspacers A motor Y is secured. to the inner side of the bottom wal1 andin the present instance, the motor 20 is a spring motor having a windingshaft 2| extending through an opening 22 formed `in the side wall I3. Acrank 23 .isladapted to be engaged with the winding :shaft 2|` rso vasto wind the motor 2|).Y The motor 20 includes a vertically disposedishaft 24 onv which 'a clapper generally designated as 42li is secured.The clapper V25includes .a platez 26v ,having aboss 21 vsecured by asetscrew or.1fastening member 28 to the shaft 24. y-A rod 29 extends. fromthe plate v2li, and. as shown in-Figure, vis formed .with arevertedouter endr 301011 which a clapper kor striker3| is looselymounted. t

The striker 3|, in the `present instance, is formed of a cylindricalbodywhich is slidable on the reverted portion 30g-of the rod 29. The striker3| is adapted,- upon rotation of the shaft 24,j to strike thel bell .Ilat diametrically opposed points and to continue the striking of the bellIl when the motor 20 is operative.

A spring-pressed starter generally designated .as 32, is adapted toengage within the outer end of the striker 3| and includes abase 33secured by fastening members 34 to the inner side of the end wall I4. AU-shaped member 35 is pivotally carried by the base 33.and is constantlyurged in ya direction towards the base 33 by means of a spring 3B. Innormal position, the U`shaped member 35 is adapted to extend partly intothe outer end of the striker 3| as shown in Figure 6 so that when theU-shaped member 35 is released by the trigger to be hereinafterdescribed, the spring 36 will swing the U-shaped member 35 Vof starter32 in a c ounterclockwise direction as viewed in Figure 3, and initiallyprovide for rotation of the shaft 24 and rotation of the olapper 25.

The starter is normally held in set position by means of a trigger 31which is pivotally mounted on a pivot member 38 carried by a mounting 39xed to the inner side of the side wall I3. The trigger 31 is providedwith a bill 40 engaged over the upper leg or side 4I of the U-shapedmember 35, as shown in Figure. 6, so that, the U-shaped member will beheldat substantially right angles to the base 33. The trigger 31projects from th'e pivot member 38 through an opening 42;j

formed in the side wal1 I3 and is provided on the projecting end 43thereof with a plate or cani member 44 mounted on an angle to thevertical. -r

the striker 3l.

A trigger releasing lever 45 is rockably mounted on a pivot member 46carried by-a mounting 4I;

which is secured to the outer side of the side wall I3. The lever 45 isconstantly urged to trigger releasing position bymeans of` a spring Thelower end of the lever 45 is rounded olf; asY at 45, and is adapted'. toslide over the inclined; upper side of the.. plate 44. The plate44 maybe of any desired length extending from opposite. sidesof the triggerextension 43v Vso that, several trigger releasing levers 45 may besecured tothehousing In Figures 1 and 3, therelareishown two levers 45which are adapted, when released by. thefusible holder', to strikei theplatev 44 and rock. the trigger 31V at its inner end to ay releasedposition. The lever 45-is normally held in a disengaged position withrespect to the platei I4v by means ;of an elongated' flexible andfusibleY member 5Il`. The fusible member 56j is connected at one; end 5tto the upperend of the lever` 45. and the. op.- posite end of the.fusible; member 56 is connected as at 52 to one end of a pivoted link53. The link 53 is pivoted. as aty 54i on. a. support;` 55 which isremote from the:housing I-Il and the opposite end of the link 534 hasconnected thereto a second fusible member56.

The fusible memberV 56 may be extended be.- yond the linle 53' to, anydesired portion of' a building andi the.y opposite enld is xedly securedto astationarysupport.. The fusiblemember 5,6 extendsv in a direction.parallelv with one offthe fusible members.l 56, whereas a second link53a is connectedrto. a second fusible member a, and the link` 53a. has.connected to the opposite end thereof a second fusible member.' 56a. Inthe present instance, they second vfusible member 56a is shown asextendingy in alignment with th'e length of the link 53a.. but it ,willbe understood that the fusible member 56a may beV extended from the link53a atany desired angle.

A switch 51 isv secured by fastening-'members 58 tothe inner sideof theend wall-` I4'. The switch 51 includes a pivoted lever 59 which isadapted, upon swinging thereof inA a clockwise-direction, to close theelectric signal circuit; The. lever 59 is disposed in the path oftheswinging of the U- shaped memberv 35 so that when this'- member isreleased by release of the trigger 31, the member 35 will strike thelever 59 and-move this lever to a circuit closing position. An electricalarm circuit 60 is connected with theA switch 51 and if desired anaudible signa16`I mayv be interposed in the signal circuit 60 andpositioned at any desired point, such as either within or exteriorly ofthe buildingor at a point remoteV from the building.

In the use and operationof this alarm, Vthe fusible members 50 Yand 50aare extended into the Y building in which the housing II) is1 positionedand extended about the building to points remote from the housing I0.The fusible members 5I! and 50a may be constructed in the form offusible wire of-desired composition, such as lead, solder, or the like,which is adapted to melt when the air in the building reaches apredetermined high temperature.

The fusible members 50 will normally hold the releasing levers 45 indisengaged position with respect tothe striker plate 44. The trigger 31in set position will engage the member 35 and the member will beextended into the outer end of Switch lever 59 will be positioned in thefull line position shown in Figure 3 whereinthe electric circuit 6U willbe broken. In the event any one of the fusible members 50 or 50a, 56 or56a becomes broken or fused, spring 48 will swing lever. 415' and rocktrigger 31 at its inner end upwardly to a released position.

At' this time member 35 will swing under the action of spring 36: in acounterclockwise; direction, starting the; swinging movement of? clapper245 and at the same time moving switch; lever 59 from az circuitbreaking position to a circuit closing position. After clapper 25 hasbeen released and startedswinging by the member: 35, motor 20 willcontinue to. swing on' clapper 25 ina circular path so as tocausethestriker 3lvr to engage the belll1 at two points. on. theY bell foreach complete rotation. *Y s Y The striker 3| is looselyr carried by'theearm 29 andY is mounted so as, to strike the bell I1 at` a pointbelow the plane of the horizontal center of the bell.y The bell also hasa roundedrlnrwhich is struck by the striker 3 Ii sothat when the'striker3I initially vstrikes theY rounded rim the striker will slide inwadly`toward the axis of arm 29 a distance sufficient; toV permit continuedrotation of arm 29. Arm 279 will,v thereupon swing.' interiorly ofv bellI1 and stri-ke the opposite edge thereof and at t-histime Vstriker 3|.will also move inwardly so that armr 29A may continue-itsrotationV so asto thereby providefor repeatingthe bellstrikingfcycle.,

In order that-the sound of thebell- I1 may be A carried toVV variousparts about the buildingl with which the re. alarm` isA associated, I;have, provided a duct` 62; which is connectedat one, end tothe Vend WallI5, communicating with the; in.- terior of the housingv Ill. The otherend of the y.duct 62- may be-connected to a hot air; heating system sothat the ducts of the heating system will carry the soundto all partsofthe building. Thevduet. 62 may also-be connectedsto any other suitablesoundconducting; pipe for conducting the soundi or. the bell' IItopoints remote from the housing.

This` device in View ci thev motor starter correlated' therewith, .will`provide for; positive sounding of: an: alarm so: that it a; device,should standl for a long period of; time and thelubricant for the.motor: 2i!v become heavy, and. normally prevent operationv of the meten.the starter will initially break the lubrication which is heavyandassure propery operation of the motor.

In order to provide a` means` whereby in the event the motor 2i) doesnot operate the bell I1`I may be sounded when the trigger 31 is tripped,I have provided an electrically operated clapper 63 which is connectedby conductors 64V to switch 51. In this manner the looalvsound-ing ofthe alarm will be assured as well as the sounding of a remote alarm.

What I claim is :L l f 1. A re alarm comprising a housing; an; audiblesignal member in said housing, said member including a motor operatedclapper, a pivoted trigger normally holding said clapper inoperative, aspring-pressed lever adapted to` engage said trigger to rock the latterto released position, fusible means connected to said lever for holdingsaid lever in disengaged position with respect to said trigger, springpressed starter means engageable with said trigger and clapper forinitially effecting operation of said clapper and motor when saidtrigger has been moved to released position.

2. A re alarm comprising a housing, a bell in said housing, a motor insaid housing, a clapper rotatably carried by said motor and engageablewith said bell, said clapper having an opening in the outer end thereof,a spring-pressed starter carried by said housing having a portionthereof projecting into said opening, a movable trigger normallyengaging said starter to hold the latter in set position andsimultaneously hold said clapper and motor inoperative, a spring-pressedtrigger releasing lever engageable with said trigger to move saidtrigger to released position, and fusible means connected to said leverto hold the latter disengaged from said trigger.

GEORGE RUSHING., JR.

